Lock for fire-arms



(No Model.)

A. E. WHITMORE.

LOOK FOR FIRE ARMS.

No. 259,445. Patented June 13, 1882.

In lien/v 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW E. WHITMORE, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOK FOR FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,445, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed March 18, 1880. Renewed March .20, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW E. WHITMOR-E,

late of Springfield, at present residing in East which the hammer is returned automatically to half-cock after its descent upon the firing-pin by the stress of a spring, and so that it cannot again descend upon the firing-pin, except by a pull upon the trigger. In this lock the hammer is returned to half-cock by the return of the spring-impelled sear impinging against a carrier-plate intervening between the scar and tumbler, thus avoiding the necessity of employing a special spring for the purpose, and utilizing the presen t waste of power of t-hemaiuspring in overcoming the stress of this special spring during the descent of the hammer from half-cock to the firing-pin. In lieu of connecting the mainspring with the tumbler, it is connected to an intermediate plate, which I term a carrier, such carrier constituting an agent to transmit the power of the mainspring to the tumbler, and serving in its descent to carry the hammer with it until the half-cock is reached, when further movement of the carrier is arrested by a suitable stop, and the hammer completes its descent from the halfcock notch to the firing-pin of the arm by the momentum imparted to it by the mainspring, the tumbler being returned to a bearing with the carrier and to half-cock when the pull upon the trigger is removed. When the hammer and tumbler are drawn back to full-cock the tumbler carries the carrier with it, the two moving as one piece against the stress of the niainspring until the full-cock notch, which is common to the two, is reached, and when the sear is removed from such notch they descend as one under the impulse of the mainspring; but this impulse is interrupted or arrested at a certain point by the stoppage of the tumbler, and thehammer allowed to completeits descent by its own momentum, unaided by the mainspring, and to be returned to halt' cock unopposed by such mainspring, the half-cock notch of the tumbler beingso situated as to take cfi'cct at the point where the mainspring ceases its function upon the tumbler, and the hammer bcgins to move byits own momentum,.impelled by the mainspring acting upon the carrier, which carries the hammer with it until the movement of the carrieris arrested, as stated'that is, at half-cock of the tumbler-when the hammer descends alone.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent in Figurel a vertical section, in Fig. 2 a plan, and in Fig. 3 a cross-section, of a lock embodying my improvements. Fig. 4 is a section of the tumbler or carrier enlarged. Figs. 5 and 6 are views, respectively, of the car rier.

The plate of the lock is shown at A, the bridge at B, the mainspring at D, the lower portion of the hammer at E, the tumbler at (If, the sear-spring at F, and the scar at H, the half-cock or safety notch of the tumbler being shown at I) and its full-cock notch at c, the tumbler having an integral pivot, (L to enter the bridge, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I provide a plate, (shown at d in the drawings,) which I term the carrier, this plate having a tubular pivot, e, which surrounds the pivot fof the tumbler, and in common with such pivot f extends through the lock plate, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the lower central part of the carrier cl being cut away or notched, as shown at gin Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings, to receive the upper part or head it of the tumbler, the notch 9 being flaring at bottom in on dcr to'permit of slight play of the tumbler upon its aXis-that is, a distance equalto that described by the hammer in the latters descent from halfcock to the firing-pin. In other words, the play of the head of the tumbler in the notch permits of this descent of the hammer, a spur or horn, z, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) extending from the front part of such head to bring up against the rear boundary, 7c, of the notch, and prevent rattling or loose play of the hammer while at half-cock, the tumbler being forced up to the bearing by the stress of the sear-spring through the medium ofthe nose 1 of such sear wiping against the rear face, m, of the lower part of the tumbler, this face bein g arranged obliquely with respect to the axis of the tumbler, in order that the pressure of IOO the sear upon it shall crowd the spur 2' up to its bearing 70, when the sear is, released from the pull of the trigger at the same time that the nose of the sear enters the half-cock notch of the tumbler. The said half-cock notch b of the tumbler is situated at the top of the oblique face on of the tumbler, and in such position relatively to the nose of the sear, the lip t of the tumbler, and the abutment 7c of the carrier that as the hammer is thrown back to half-cock by the wiping of the sear upon the tumbler, and such sear enters the half-cock notch, the lip 11 brings up against the said abut ment, and, as before stated, prevents forward loose play of the hammer while at half-cock. During this movement of the tumbler ,-that is, while the hammer isvfalling by itsown Inomentum from half-cock to the firing-pin,while the pull is upon the trigger, or, being returned by the wiping action of'the sear when the pull upon the trigger is, relaxed, the tumbler and hammer (the two latter are connected in the usual manner) are free from or unacted upon by the mainsprin g, for the reason that the rearcnd, ,0, of the carrier d (the, fr m end, 1), of such carrier being pivoted to the free end of themainspring) brings up against a. post or stop, q, Figs. 1 and 2, located at the upper part of the lock'plate.

As the hammer is carried from half to full cock the pressure of the mainsprin g isexerted upon thecar-rier and by the latter transmitted to thetumbler, so that the carrier and tumbler act together as one during this movement'of the hammer to overcome the stress of the am springuntil the sear enters. the halt cock notch c. When the trigger is pulled and the Sear ieleased from the full cock notch the tumbler and carrier descend together under the im ulse of the mainspring upon the latter until the hammer reaches the half-cock point, when the rear end of the carrier brings upagainst the stop q and the tumbler and hammer are re; leased from the stressof the mainspring, and

the hammer moves, independently of the carrier and completes its descent by its own, mo-

mentum. So long as the pull upon the trigger isinaintained the tumbler is freefrom thestress and forces the lip of the tumbler into contact with the carrier, so that the two again become virtually one, and the hammer stands at safety or half cock and cannot reach the firing-pin of the arm, except by a combined lowering of it and pull upon the trigger.

The rebounding feature in this look consists in the provision for loose play of the tumbler upon its pivot independently of the agent which connects it with the mainspring when the pull is upon the trigger and the stress of the mainspring arrested, and the return of the tumbler to, a bearin g with the carrier when the pullupon the. trigger is relaxed. I am aware that 'it is not new to construct a lock for fire-arms so that the sear-spring will th TO-Wv back the. tumbler and hammer to halfcock this. being shown, for instance, in a patent'grantetl to J. 0. Dane, March 26,1872,No. 124,939.. I do not broadly claim such a. look.

What. I do claim is..

1 In combination-with a mainspring, tumbier, and sear, a plate or carrier pivoted con,-

centrically with saidtumbler and inclosin g the same, said carrier having a flaring recess, to allow the independent movement of said tumbler, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination-with mainspring D, sear H, sear-spring F, and tumbler h, having an inclined face beyond the safety-notch, the car- IlQId, pivoted concentrieall y with said tumbler and inclosingthe same, said carrier being providedwith a projection, i, and stopped by a post, q, said devices causing the independent forward action of said tumbler and the immediate rebouud thereof to the safety position,

- substantially as set forth.

ANDRE? E. WHITMORE.

'Witnesses;

GE H. Fox, H. JAQUES. 

